Definition: Percentage of responses by public school staff on the extent to which they agree their school provides effective confidential support and referral services for students needing help because of substance abuse, violence, or other problems, by type of school (e.g., in 2013-2015, 24.3% of responses by high school staff in California reported strong agreement that effective confidential services were provided for students needing help).

Footnote: Years presented comprise two school years (e.g., 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years are shown as 2013-2015). This question was asked of all surveyed staff in the 2011-12 school year. In 2012-13, 2013-14, and 2014-15 only staff reporting responsibility for services or instruction related to health, prevention, discipline, counseling, or safety were asked to respond. Data are unweighted. K-12 schools are classified according to the grade levels with greatest enrollment (e.g., schools with more students in the elementary grades than in the middle or high school grades are classified as elementary schools). Students in non-traditional programs are those enrolled in community day schools or continuation education. The notation S refers to data that have been suppressed because (a) there were fewer than 5 respondents in that group, or (b) the sample was too small to be representative. N/A means that data are not available.

Learn More About Pupil Support Services

Measures of Pupil Support Services on Kidsdata.org

Kidsdata.org provides the number of and ratio of students to full-time equivalent pupil support service personnel, by type of personnel. Pupil support service personnel include school counselors, librarians, nurses, psychologists, psychometrists, resource specialists, social workers, language specialists, special education personnel, and others.

Pupil support services address students’ social, emotional, behavioral, physical, and cognitive needs to help them reach their maximum academic and health potential (1, 2, 3). The availability of an array of pupil support personnel indicates a school’s capacity to meet a wide range of student needs. For example, school counselors often help students learn coping, conflict-resolution, and goal-setting skills that are critical to future success (1). Counselors also provide immediate support during crises and referrals to other services as needed. School psychologists provide some of these same services and also offer mental health counseling, identify learning challenges, and assist teachers in tailoring instruction accordingly (4). Speech/language/hearing and resource specialists provide direct service and case management for students with specific disabilities (5, 6). Nurses manage the daily health needs of students, which may include providing basic health care and screenings, connecting students to health care resources, and helping students manage chronic health conditions, among other responsibilities (3). Nurses and other student support staff help ensure that children are healthy and have the support they need to be successful learners (1, 3). These support services play an important role in creating a positive school climate, which is linked to improved student behavior and academic achievement (2, 3, 7).

For more information on pupil support services, see kidsdata.org’s Research & Links section.

In 2017, public school districts in California employed one full-time equivalent counselor for every 681 students, a psychologist for every 1,124 students, a speech/language/hearing specialist for every 1,181 students, a nurse for every 2,502 students, and a social worker for every 9,277 students. As in previous years, 2017 data for counties and school districts show wide variation in student access to support personnel.

Across all types of pupil support personnel for which data are available, statewide ratios have improved since 2011; nevertheless, they do not meet recommendations from the American School Counselor Association (250 students per counselor), the National Association of School Psychologists (500-700 students per psychologist), or the National Association of Social Workers (250 students per social worker).

When asked whether their school provides adequate counseling and support services for students, 23% of responses by elementary school staff, 30% of responses by middle school staff, 27% of responses by high school staff, and 44% of responses by staff at non-traditional schools reported strong agreement in 2013-2015.

Policy Implications

Pupil support services, such as those provided by school counselors and nurses, can be critical to student success, particularly for students with physical, emotional, or behavioral problems. Yet with limited school resources and numerous demands, policymakers face difficult decisions about the priority of non-teaching staff. Pupil support service personnel meet student needs that otherwise may fall to administrators and teachers to address, or may not be addressed at all. Access to school counselors, school nurses, and school-based health services can be linked to positive learning environments and improved student behavior, engagement, and academic achievement (1, 2, 3). These support services are especially critical now that California law requires school districts to address student engagement and school climate among other priorities (1).

Policy and program options that could improve student access to quality support services include:

Maximizing partnerships and existing funding streams, such as California’s Local Control Funding Formula and the Mental Health Services Act, to ensure that students have access to school counseling and other mental health services, and promoting the use of research-based techniques to target specific student outcomes (1, 2, 4)

Promoting the delivery of health care services at school by funding school nurses and school-based health centers; as with mental health services, public funding streams can be leveraged to expand health care at schools—e.g., using Medicaid funds for school health services (1, 5, 6)

Integrating student mental health and health care services into a coordinated and comprehensive system of supports; a key aspect of such a system includes engaging school staff (teachers, administrators, etc.), students, parents, and the community (7, 8)

7. Center for Mental Health in Schools and Student/Learning Supports. (n.d.). System change toolkit: Transforming student and learning supports into a unified, comprehensive, and equitable system for addressing barriers to learning and teaching. Retrieved from: http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/summit2002/resourceaids.htm